If you’ve read our previous blogs or watch our videos you’ll know I make know secret about the fact that I’m differently-abled and have to adapt how I tackle Disneyland Paris accordingly. There can be a wide range of medical conditions, neurodiversity and more that can impact a Disneyland Paris trip. In my case chronic pain is the main issue I have to navigate – and it has a big impact on what I can and can’t do in the parks. And since our last trip it’s gotten a lot worse so that’s going to have an even bigger impact on our next visit! Does it mean my Disneyland Paris trips look a lot different to those of other people? Absolutely. Our videos and blogs don’t show the number of enforced rests, the extra planning, the treatments needed just to get through. But I’m aware that there’s going to be many other folks out there that suffer from chronic pain that could be visiting Disneyland Paris and aren’t sure how to visit the parks. So here’s my top tips for ensuring you still have the best trip possible.

Plan for you trip as if you’re having a flare up

Many chronic health conditions are variable – we can be better on some days than others. A period of a sharp increase in symptoms is known as a flare up, and these can last for hours, days, weeks or even months. Hopefully a flare up is something that you’ll avoid on your Disneyland Paris trip. But you should still plan a trip as if one is happening.

Why? Well, Disneyland Paris can be a lot for anyone – it can be a lot of extra standing and walking than you’re used to. It can be busy and overstimulating, and you’ve got the travel that can also add to symptoms. In other words, it’s not unlikely that just being in Disneyland Paris can actually lead you into a flare up! But even if that’s not the case, the main reason for this is to ensure you’re prepared if the worst does happen – you have the appropriate medicines, supports, aids etc on hand to hopefully address your symptoms as much as possible, and therefore avoiding a flare up derailing your entire trip. Plan for the worst and hope for the best, and you should be ready for what the parks throw at you.

Keep to schedules for medication

There is so much happening at Disneyland Paris that it can be easy to lose track of time, and therefore forget to do things like taking medication. But of all the times when you should be taking your medication meticulously on schedule, this is one of the them!

By ensuring you keep on top of your medication you’re giving yourself the best chance of managing visiting the theme parks, and hopefully avoiding a full blown flare up! (See my point above). If you need to, set yourself reminders – I have to use an app to keep track of my medication anyway, but it’s extra helpful when I’m away as a reminder not to ignore needing my meds. If you don’t want to use an app, you could set alarms on your phone. And also ask those with you to remind you to take your medication too – the more reminders you’re going to have, the more likely you are to do it!

And on the subject of medication – bring it all with you, and preferably some spares just in case you have a delay getting home for some reason. Obviously don’t bring an entire pharmacy, but make sure you have what you need. And I’d also recommend bringing along any medication that you may need ‘occasionally’ – like antacids for heartburn. (In my case it’s this and pills for IBS in case that flares up). I’ve mentioned it many times, but in France you can’t buy any form of medication (even common stuff like paracetamol) outside of a pharmacy. It’s much better to have it with you if you need it. If need be you could go to the nearest pharmacy at Val d’Europe – but not only does this eat up precious time from your Disney trip, the extra stress and effort is the last thing you need if you’re in a lot of pain or feeling wiped out.

Occasionally use supports or mobility aids? Bring them.

I don’t think anyone wants to think they’ll need to use a walking stick, wheelchair or joint support at Disneyland Paris if they don’t need them all the time. But if these are things you even use occasionally, you’re much better placed to bring it with you than otherwise.

On our last trip I packed a folding walking stick just in case as my back had been awkward in the run up to the trip – and I ended up using it a couple of days. Not what I planned, but it is what I needed to get through the rest of the trip! Since then I’m now using a walking stick essentially all the time, so I know I’ll have that glued to my hand when we next go. Not ideal, but it’ll definitely be necessary! If you don’t end up using said mobility aid or support then great! But if you find you need it and don’t have it with you, then you’re kind of stuck. Disney can rent you a manual wheelchair, but there’s nowhere on site that you’ll be able to get an ankle support or walking stick or similar. In the same way as the medication above, having it with you just in case could save you a lot of pain and effort trying to find a replacement – especially if you’re already feeling sub-par.

Side note on joint supports – if you don’t have certain ‘tricky’ joints on a regular basis but know that any of them could choose to flare up, we’d recommend packing some KT Tape (physio tape). This can be used on multiple spots across the body to provide extra support. Do only use it if you’re not sensitive to latex though!

Pause and listen to your body

It used to be believed that if a part of your body was injured, it hurt – and that was it. Nowadays we know pain science is a lot more complicated than that, particularly when it comes to chronic pain. Our environment and our emotional state play a big factor (and no that does not mean pain is imagined, it’s very very real!) and if we’re distracted we might not notice that our bodies are trying to tell us to stop. And there’s nowhere more distracting than a Disney theme park!

Disneyland Paris has a lot to delight guests – attractions, shows, characters, restaurants, shops. Just being there among the theming can be a wonderful distraction and a lot of fun! The downside of this distraction though is that if we don’t pause to listen to our bodies, we might miss the warning signals they’re giving us that we’re in a lot of pain until it’s too late – the pain level is so high it dominates all else. And with pain, the higher the level it’s at, then harder it is to then bring it back under control.

So during your theme park days please take a break. I do this a lot of times each day – a bit of time on a bench or in a restaurant. I often do it if I’ve paused to have a drink (hydration is important!) or a snack. Just take a few minutes to take stock of how you’re feeling – any warning aches and pains you should take action to manage now? It’s often at these breaks that I end up taking medication too, to keep on top of my symptoms. These frequent, needed breaks are something that you never see in our videos (because me sitting on a bench is kinda dull to watch I should think) – but they’re an essential part of our Disney day.

And also to give your body a break if you have multiple days on your trip I’d recommend against doing park open to park close every day. To be honest now I struggle to do it once or twice in a 5 day trip – because my body just needs to rest. And I know if I ignore it I’ll pay the price in the long run, potentially completely wrecking the rest of the trip. So please make time to rest and check in with yourself, and then give your body the self care it needs!

Know your limits when it comes to attractions – and stick to them!

Disneyland Paris attractions range from the quiet and gentle to rough and wild, and there’s pretty much everything in between! If you’ve got chronic pain, it’s worth figuring out which attractions might be too much for you and avoiding them, and making sure those you travel with know too.

If you’ve been to Disneyland Paris before you probably know what attractions might work for you and what won’t. If you’ve never been before that’s a bit more awkward. What you can do is check the Disneyland Paris website for descriptions, and watch ride through videos on YouTube to give you an idea of the movement (do bear in mind though that many modern cameras smooth out movement so it may not be a fully clear picture of how rough a ride actually is!). Of course if you know anyone who has been you can ask them. I’ll also shamelessly recommend our own Magically Different Guide to Disneyland Paris attraction accessibility as I go into detail about the ride movement, the ride seats and more so it should have everything you need to know. You can buy it here for £3 – or subscribe to our blog to get it for free!

As a general rule of thumb with chronic pain, beware simulators and rollercoasters as the movement of these can be kinda wild, although it does vary a lot by attraction. But you might have other chronic pain needs that restrict rides others may not think about – for example if you struggle in very low seats and getting out of them due to back or hip pain, then Orbitron and Autopia might not be for you. (They’re definitely not for me!) If you have hand or arm pain, the Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast and WEB Slingers may not be great for you due to the interactive components (or you could just experience the ride without doing the interactive element).

For myself I already avoided the more intense coasters at Disneyland Paris, and rides I know where I’d struggle with the seating. Due to my recent brain aneurysm diagnosis I know on our next trip I’ll be restricted even more. Does that suck a bit? Well, yes it does. But I’d rather prioritise my health than anything else, and thankfully Disneyland Paris has a lot to do!

And when you’ve identified the rides you can’t go on, make sure to let everyone else in your travel group know – that way they hopefully won’t pressure you to ride while you’re there, and you won’t be as tempted to ‘risk it’. You may be fine if you do this – but you may not and the last thing you want is a full blown flare or needing to go back to your hotel room because you chanced riding Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril!

Check to see if your eligible for either the Priority Pass or Easy Access Pass

Disneyland Paris offer various ways to support those who are differently-abled to enjoy their parks as much as possible. Two of those ways are the Priority Card and Easy Access Card!

Both of these cards offer expedited access to rides in the parks, helping to cut down on what could be some painful standing and waiting. The Easy Access Pass allows you and up to 4 group members to book return slots for rides, and then access them with a much reduced wait. It is available to people with specific medical conditions. The Priority Pass, for those with registered disabilities, is more restricted in who can have it but allows the card holder quicker access to rides, special waiting areas for shows, and shorter waiting times in restaurants and shops. For full details please see our previous blog on the service.

It may be that you’re eligible for one or the other pass, it may be you’re not. But it’s worth checking, and if you are make sure you take advantage of it – it could help make your park days a lot easier!

Plan what support you need during travelling too!

It’s easy when planning a Disneyland Paris trip to be so focussed on planning for the parks that you don’t give much consideration to how you’re going to get there in the first place!

Whether you drive, fly, or train will very much depend on where you’re travelling from and what works for you. But if you’ve got chronic pain, make sure you consider what you might need to stay as comfortable as possible during the journey there and back. For example, coming by train I know I need cushion supports for my back to help reduce pain as much as possible. And if I don’t do that? I’m already starting my park days in a lot of pain! Far from ideal, and a recipe for even bigger flare ups. So considering your comfort while travelling could be a big help.

You also might want to consider how you’re going to get to Disneyland Paris from where you’re staying. We much prefer staying on site because if we need to it’s a lot easier to get back to the hotel and rest (as well as the extra Disney magic on site stays bring!). If you’re staying off-site and relying on shuttles, bear in mind it can be a bit of a bun fight at peak times (especially at the end of the night) so you might want to consider travelling at off peak times or budgeting for cabs to prevent you having to fight with a lot of other people for a spot! Or if you’ve driven you could drive to the parks and park every day. Disney hotel guests (including guests at Davy Crockett Ranch which isn’t on site) get free parking for the theme parks. For everyone else you’ll need to budget for the car parking – but it might be worth it for the ease of it.

So there we go – my top tips for tackling Disneyland Paris with chronic pain. It’s not easy and requires extra thought and logistics, and the willingness to stop and listen to your body. But if you can manage it, it’s worth it I think! If you like this blog please subscribe to receive future blogs in your inbox, and that free copy of our Magically Different Guide to Disneyland Paris Attraction Accessibility I mentioned earlier! We also share a lot of tips and tricks on our YouTube channel so we’d love to see you there. Also, if you’d like to support our work please do consider leaving us a tip, or visiting our Amazon storefront to shop the products we recommend! Thank you.